~ Researching the Liners of the World since 1989

On 18 November, it was announced in New York City that the remains of historic Pier 54, where Titanic’s survivors were landed, will be demolished as part of a $170 million project in partnership with the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation to extend Hudson River Park along Manhattan’s western side.The foundation will design, build and maintain a new 2.4 acre (.97 hectare) waterfront park and performance venue atop a new, square pier – known as Pier 55 or “P55” – between the wood pilings that once supported the Cunard Line’s Pier 56 and those of Pier 54, which has suffered significant deterioration. Some 100 feet (30.5m) of Pier 54’s 875-foot (266m) platform already has collapsed into the Hudson River, and except for a 100-foot segment at the pier’s eastern (street) end, the pier’s remaining length has been closed due to safety concerns. The proposal calls for demolishing the pier’s crumbling concrete platform, leaving only its wood pilings, which will serve as a sanctuary for the river’s protected striped bass population. The proposal still must receive approvals from the full board of the Hudson River Park Trust, the Army Corps of Engineers and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Following demolition, construction could begin in 2016.

While the actual pier structure through which Titanic’s rescued disembarked from Carpathia, and through which Lusitania’s final passengers boarded was destroyed in a fire on May 6, 1932, the pier was rebuilt using the original steel framework. Just one piece of that original structure remains: an iconic steel archway at the pier’s entrance, which still bears in faded paint the words “Cunard-White Star.”

The project’s lengthy environmental assessment document is downloadable at http://www.hudsonriverpark.org/assets/content/general/Pier54_Environmental_Assessment.pdf. There is no mention of what would become of this arch should this project move forward. You can help to ensure that the arch is retained and conserved, either in its present location or moved to the new Pier 55, and supplemented with a suitable plaque or tablet commemorating Pier 54’s role in history. Please note that all public comments must be received by 16 January 2015, so the time for action is very short. With the help of the members of Titanic societies on both sides of the Atlantic, we have an opportunity to try to ensure that this final remnant of this historic pier can be rescued from the scrappers’ torch. Send your request via e-mail to the Hudson River Park Trust, atpier54comments@hrpt.ny.gov, or via postal letter to William Heinzen, Esq., Hudson River Park Trust, Pier 40, 2nd Floor,353 West Street, New York, NY 10014-3674, and to the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation at 555 W. 18th Street,2nd Floor, New York, NY 10011-2822.

The convention web site is up and running for our 25th anniversary convention in Mystic Connecticut, the place where it all began. Bring your family and friends for a memorable weekend when the daffodils are in bloom and the last wooden whaling ship in the world sets off on a triumphant voyage. To read about all the events, our flagship hotel, speakers and menus for the weekend, click on the link below to browse all the details at our special convention web site

A Stone for Oscar

On Saturday morning, March 28, 1925, Oscar L. Johansson Palmquist, Swedish immigrant and survivor of the R.M.S. Titanic disaster, was missing. The tall, slender toolmaker and machinist had dressed in his best suit, stopped in at his favorite neighborhood barber for a trim, and had departed in good spirits Friday night for a little fun at Walnut Grove, a nearby recreational spot. It had been a long week at the shop and he was looking for a little weekend relaxation.
Something went terribly wrong in the evening hours – something fatal and
mysterious. Oscar met with “misadventure.” Newspapers reported him missing.
Family soon became concerned. There was talk – and rumors. The days passed
with no answers, until one bright April Saturday morning, when two workers at
Beardsley Park found Oscar’s body floating about ten feet from the little island
at the reservoir’s south end. He was identified by papers in his suit pocket, and
insurance policies on his person. Foul play and suicide were quickly ruled out and the case was soon dismissed as an “accidental drowning.” Rev. A. J. Okerblom from the Swedish Evangelical Salem Lutheran Church, where Oscar worshipped, was not satisfied. He felt sure something terrible had befallen Oscar, who was known to avoid water since his narrow escape from Titanic. Okerblom’s protestations came to naught and Oscar was quietly buried in Mountain Grove Cemetery in Bridgeport.

Life moved on for the Palmquist family and in time, the shadows of that fateful night closed over the story of Oscar Palmquist. An autopsy was not pursued and no further police action was taken. Over the decades, rough grass closed over the single grave as Oscar’s story faded into history.

Can You Help?

Oscar Palmquist’s story garnered some small attention in 2012 as the 100th
anniversary of Titanic’s sinking approached, but the humble grave remains unmarked. Titanic societies all over the world are now receiving an appeal to contribute to remembering Oscar with a granite grave marker that will record his name, dates, and his presence aboard Titanic in 1912. His tragic and ironic death has captured the imaginations of many: to have survived the terrible night in the North Atlantic, only to be found in a park pond only a few days from the thirteenth anniversary of the sinking of the great liner.

A Barre, Vermont granite marker in 1920s-style pale grey, unpolished stone has been selected at a cost of $1300 with $280 being needed for the stone footing. Mr. Palmquist’s family has been located and is excited to be a part of a memorial dedication ceremony, which will take place on Saturday, June 29 at 11 a.m. in Bridgeport’s Mountain Grove Cemetery. The project has also received the endorsement of the Titanic International Society, and TIS treasurer Robert Bracken has been in close contact with the family. Oscar’s great nephew, Mr. David Palmquist, will be writing an updated biography of his great uncle, which will be published in Voyage and made public on this site at the same time.

Providing a stone will be costly, but with all of us working together, it can be accomplished. TIS President Emeritus Shelley Dziedzic has set up a special account for this purpose, and will oversee cemetery arrangements. Checks in any amount will be greatly appreciated and may be made out to Shelley Dziedzic, P.O. Box 86, North Stonington, CT 06359 USA. Please put “A Stone for Oscar” on the memo line. Alternatively, a Paypal account will receive your donations in U.S. dollar currency. Please use revdma@aol.com as the Paypal “send to” address. Progress on the project will be posted weekly on the Titanic International Society Facebook page, and on its web site, http://www.titanicinternationalsociety.org. Please email revdma@aol.com with questions regarding this effort. A leather-bound booklet of donors will be presented to the family, or you may wish to contribute anonymously.
Please help if you can. We hope many will join us as we pay tribute to this Titanic survivor, whose life ended so tragically.

As long as we remember those who have gone before us, they will live forever.

The last of the issues devoted to the 100th anniversary should have reached members last week. There is an amazing photograph of Catherine Buckley in this issue and an update on her new memorial in Ireland. The issue is devoted almost entirely to the 2012 Titanic Memorial Cruises. There are multiple accounts by our members of the cruise experiences on both ships, Azamara Journey and Balmoral.